Do you feel helpless when your important files disappear from your pen drive? Nowadays, pen drives are useful for data storage as well as disk storage. However, even though the data stored on the flash drive is no longer visible, it is not permanently deleted.
There are various reasons for hidden file issues. However, while it is easy to recover corrupted data, it is more difficult to recover hidden data. For your convenience, we have selected several ways to view files. This article will show you four ways to show hidden files on a flash drive on Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7. This blog explains how to view or hide hidden files in Windows.
Why are Files Hidden on Pen Drive?
Windows often cannot display files stored on a pen. This situation can be scary and stressful for any user, especially in certain situations where you need to access a flash drive urgently. For example, you have an appointment and your boss is waiting for you.
It will be even worse if you don’t know why the files are hidden. Therefore, to reveal files on flash, you must first find the reason why files on pen are hidden.
- Format your Device: This happens often: users need to format a damaged flash drive before they can use it again, and the formatting process results in the complete loss of hidden files and data.
- Accidental Deletion: Users may unknowingly select all files and accidentally click the “Delete All” button. This will delete all files, including hidden files.
- This is not an intentional mistake. Sometimes we can hide files on pen without our knowledge or realizing it.
- Malware Infection: When you connect a flash drive to an infected device, viruses can easily damage data stored on the USB network and change the properties of some files to hide them.
Solution 1: Use Windows File Options to Show Hidden Files on a Flash Drive
- In Windows 10/8/7, press Windows + E to open Windows Explorer.
- In the Folder Options or File Explorer Options window, go to the View tab. Under Hidden Files, choose the Show Hidden Files and Drives option.
- Click Apply, then click OK. You will see the files on the pen drive.
Solution 2: Use CMD to View Files on a Flash Drive
Command Prompt (CMD) is the second option if you want to show hidden files on an external hard drive, pen drive, memory card, or other storage device. Here you will learn the complete ATTRIB command to hide files.
To view files using CMD, follow these three steps:
Step 1: Connect the pen drive to your computer correctly.
Step 2: Press Windows key + X to open the menu and click “Command Prompt (Admin)” from that menu.
Step 3: In the Command Prompt window, type attrib -h -r -s /s /d G:\*.* (replace G with your device’s drive letter) and press Enter.
After completing these steps, access your flash drive, hard drive, or memory card and check if you can see all the hidden files.
Solution 3: Show Hidden Files on a Flash Drive on Windows 11, 10, 9, and 7 with Expert Trusted Software
Hidden files are never permanently deleted. They are always there, as they usually take up storage space, but they are invisible to our eyes. Unless you accidentally delete files on your flash drive, they may be hidden somewhere.
Therefore, you need to take the appropriate steps to publish the file. SysTools Pen Drive File Recovery Software is a powerful and professional solution that helps you recover hidden files easily. You can also recover deleted, formatted, damaged or damaged files with just three clicks.
Also read: How to Recover Formatted Data from Pen Drive Using CMD?
Step-by-Step to Unhide Hidden Files in on Pen Drive
- First of all, download the pen drive recovery tool on your Windows system.
- After that, choose any scan option, such as: Scan or Format.
- Thereafter, after the scanning process, the software will preview all the recovered data on your screen.
- Now, save the recovered data files from the pen drive to any destination location.
Final Word
In this article, we will provide three ways to show hidden files on a flash drive on Windows, show you how to use Pen Drive Recovery to recover hidden files on pen and also suggest some possible recovery solution methods. Problematic card files do not show problems.